DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings ended the season last year as the second least penalized team in the league, in terms of average minutes in the box per game.

Through four games this season, Detroit ranks second to last in the league in penalty minutes.

“I just think the standard each and every night is the standard and you got to respect what’s being called and keep your stick on the puck and not on hands,” Wings coach Mike Babcock said. “They made it very clear to us, they sent us video of how the game was going to be called, when you put your stick on another guy’s hand you’re going to the box.”

In Friday night’s 5-3 win over the Minnesota Wild, the Wings were shorthanded eight times.

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“I don’t even know what’s allowed and what’s not,” Todd Bertuzzi said. “I’m just keeping my stick to myself and try not to touch anyone else’s glove because I know I’ll end up in the penalty box pretty quick. It’s whatever, you adapt to it and figure it out. You do a lot of sitting around if you’re not a special team’s guy.”

Against the Wild Detroit was penalized for hooking and interference infractions three times each, tripping and holding one time each.

“We tried to follow the new rules,” Henrik Zetterberg said. “If you look at our last game and (Friday), it’s tough to know if you touched a glove and get two minutes and sometimes you don’t. It’s tough playing all your career one way and all the sudden you can’t touch the other player’s glove or you get two minutes.”

The Wings’ penalty kill has improved since allowing four power play goals in the season opener with the St. Louis Blues, killing off seven of Minnesota’s chances Friday. The only goal allowed came in the final seconds of a 5-on-3.

“A few times (Friday) night we stopped moving our feet and we had to take a holding call,” Kyle Quincey said. “I was telling Kronner I can remember growing up and they teach you to get on the hands so they can’t make plays and now it’s the furthest thing from what you want to do.

“The biggest thing, when you’re going stick on puck, a lot of times they’re stepping on your stick and it’s a tripping penalty now,” Quincey continued. “You’ve got to be very very careful what you do and it’s almost like they want to get 5-6-7 power plays a game, so they’re looking for stuff. Hopefully it dies down in the next couple of weeks, but for now we got to be very careful.”

Detroit, which plays at Chicago tonight, has allowed just three power play goals over its last three games.

“Special teams a going to be important this season with the short amount of games,” Zetterberg said.

Goal drought

Entering play Saturday the Wings are just one of three teams that have yet to score a goal in the first period.

“We’d like to be better,” Babcock said. “The bottom line is the type of team we have, we’re going to see a lot of games where it’s going to be a grind-fest. That’s just the reality of the situation. So embrace what you’ve got and be the best that you’re capable of, and that’s what we’re trying to do.”

Carolina and Philadelphia had yet to score in the first 20 minutes through Friday.

Ins and outs

Valtteri Filppula didn’t practice Saturday, still bothered by the MCL he had repaired during the lockout, and Darren Helm left practice early. Both are expected to play against Chicago.

“Anybody’s who’s got a bump we didn’t even take them out,” Babcock said. “We’re going to do a lot more of that. We just have to, with the schedule the way it is.”